


Things Done For Kings

by toffeecape



Series: Bird Rock Lambchop (Bird Bigger Bird) [5]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Aftercare, Anal Fingering, Anal Plug, Anal Sex, Bathtub Sex, Blindshipping, Bondage, Boys in Chains, Butt Plugs, Chains, Dirty Talk, Fluff and Smut, Frottage, Kink Negotiation, Light Bondage, Light Dom/sub, M/M, Magical Healing Cock, Mild Blood, Mirror Sex, Nightmares, Nipple Piercings, No Safeword, Oral Sex, Panic Attacks, Piercings, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Porn with Feelings, Predicament Bondage, Puzzleshipping, Riding, Rimming, Rope Bondage, Service Kink, Service Top, Stripping, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Topping from the Bottom, Unsafe Sex, dom!Yugi, if you haven't discussed it the safeword is stop, soft boys fucking hard: my brand, top!yugi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-24
Updated: 2018-06-24
Packaged: 2019-05-28 02:06:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15038309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toffeecape/pseuds/toffeecape
Summary: Yugi falls further down the rabbit hole of his service kink. Atem assists.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continues directly from the events in the latter part of Like A Stone Into A Pond.

“Let me see, let me see, let me see,” Yugi chants as soon as they reach the top of Joey’s stairs. He tugs at the hem of Atem’s shirt and the waistband of his jeans at the same time, pulling him into Joey’s room. They’ve slept there a few times each (in a pile with Joey, when one of them has been out of town, or together when Joey has been having a hard time). Yugi has no compunction about dragging Atem there for a few minutes of privacy, onto the bed until they’re facing each other on their knees.

“Happy birthday, Yugi,” Atem says, a little shyly, as Yugi pulls his shirt away and up. There are two squares of gauze taped to his chest, shadowed with tiny spots of dried blood. Yugi swallows hard.

“Do they hurt?”

“Not really. They’re sore, but that’s it.”

He reaches out and then stops himself. “Can I-?”

Atem looks down. “Yes, I think those were just to protect my shirt.” He looks at Yugi with a knowing little smile. “Go ahead.”

Yugi picks an edge of tape free - the same kind Mom keeps in her first aid kit, and threw into his when they moved into the apartment - and pulls the gauze off.

“Oh, wow.” Atem’s nipples do look sore, and a little swollen, the way they would if Yugi had been playing with them hard for a while - something he won’t be able to do for months, now, _not that he’s complaining because holy shit._ The barbells through them are shocking, the little balls at the ends winking at him. “I can’t believe you did this.”

“Do you like them?”

“Are you kidding? I love them.” Yugi looks at Atem’s face and touches his cheek. “I love _you.”_ Atem’s new jewelry drags his gaze back down like a magnet, and he digs his fingernails into his palms. “I want to touch them _so bad,_ but I know I can’t.”

“Nor can you put your mouth on them, but there’s an upside.” Atem lifts up the gift bag he used to tell Yugi what he’d done. “They have to be cleaned daily with saline.”

Yugi’s face goes hot. “Daily, huh?” He tries to sound casual, and immediately fails.

“Mm-hmm. More than once, ideally: rinsing them several times, and soaking them twice.”

Yugi’s breath leaves him on a harsh moan.

“Saline can be bought in a drugstore, but I had a _hunch-”_ Atem waggles his eyebrows, “-that you’d enjoy making it yourself.”

“Good hunch,” Yugi groans, grinding his palm into his pants, trying to get his stupid hardon under control.

“We can make our own at home, but I got a bottle for tonight, since we’re staying here. And some gauze.”

Careful to avoid his chest, Yugi leans in and kisses Atem for a long minute. “This is an amazing gift,” he says, and turns to unpack the rest of it. He skims the pamphlet, cracks open the saline bottle, and soaks some clean squares of gauze.

“Gonna have to make up little spray bottles for you to use during the day when I can’t be there,” he muses. He dabs at Atem’s nipples with infinite gentleness, wiping away flecks of dried blood. “Does that hurt?”

“No. I can feel the care you’re taking,” Atem says softly. “Taking care of me.” His eyes never leave Yugi’s face, which keeps burning as he finishes up and carefully pulls Atem’s shirt back into place (thick cotton, in a smooth knit too tight to catch on the barbells - he’ll have to get Atem more of these).

“We can’t fuck in Joey’s bedroom,” Yugi says desperately. “It wouldn’t be right. But tomorrow morning when we get home, we’re going to do that full soak like it says, and then I’m going to fuck you so hard, other me.” He drops the gauze and pulls Atem’s hips against his own, letting Atem feel how hard he is, feeling Atem getting hard too. “Gonna get all this up inside you, make you feel how crazy you make me.”

Atem’s eyes flutter shut and his mouth opens as his breathing speeds up. “Yes, partner, I want that.”

 _“Crazy,”_ Yugi repeats helplessly. “Making yourself pretty - _prettier_ \- for _me,_ and in a way that’s gonna get my kinky ass riled up every _day_ for _months._ Literally a gift that keeps on giving.”

“For both of us,” Atem murmurs, grinding against him, his voice gone low and smoky, moving in that sinuous way he gets sometimes. He knows how hot he is - he’s not one for false modesty - but he doesn’t really _get_ it, how he can make Yugi feel like his brain is melting and dribbling out his ears.

Yugi gasps, “We have to stop. We really have to stop. We can’t do this here, and I didn’t bring a change of clothes, and - mmmph!” Atem kisses him hard, but he does stop moving his hips, and brings his hands from Yugi’s hair to his shoulders. They kiss again, softer, and then again softer still, breath slowing as they master themselves.

“We should get back to the party,” Atem murmurs.

“I need another minute,” Yugi says. He picks up the gauze scattered around them and puts it in the garbage. Nothing like the sight of dried blood, and even moreso the smell of it dampened, to cool him off.

“Hey, Atem?”

“Hmm?”

“Is the other reason you got those as a surprise present so I wouldn’t feel bad about not going with you and fainting?”

“That… may have factored into my decision.” Atem sounds sheepish. “I’m sorry, partner.”

“No, it’s okay.” Coming to on a hard floor, with worried piercers and a frantic Atem in his face - and then nearly puking on everyone because Atem was bleeding copiously from one ear - is an experience he’s keen to forget and never repeat. “It’s definitely okay. And would you look at that,” he looks down at his crotch, “I’m presentable again!” He takes Atem’s hand. “Let’s head back down there.”

* * *

“That was a great party,” Yugi says in the elevator, “but now I feel like I slept in a recliner.”

“That’s exactly what we did,” Atem points out.

“But I never used to feel it after.”

“I feel fine. Perhaps this is a perk of my body being two years younger than yours,” Atem teases.

“Are you _\- you -_ calling _me_ old?’ The elevator stops and the doors open with a _ding!_

“How the tables have turned,” Atem flees Yugi’s grasp out the elevator and runs cackling down the hall to their door. He’s just fumbling his key into the lock when Yugi catches up and molds himself to the back of Atem, pressing his groin to Atem’s buttocks.

“You gonna let me clean my presents some more?” he says huskily.

Atem gets the door unlocked and wheels around as they stumble inside. “An outsider would probably recommend doing it after sex,” he remarks, pulling up Yugi’s shirt and sliding his hands around his waist, groping the top of his ass.

“That outsider doesn’t get that for me, it’s fucking top-shelf foreplay. But you do,” Yugi concludes, with a besotted grin.

A few minutes later, sitting back on the bed holding two shot glasses of saline to his nipples, Atem complains, “This doesn’t do much as foreplay for me, though. It feels silly.”

Preparing the soak got Yugi all hot and bothered again, and the knowledge that he won’t have to rein himself in this time makes him bold. “I can hold them for you and talk to you, if you want. Or you can keep holding them and I can put on a little show. What’ll it be?”

Atem considers. “I think… I’ll keep holding them. That’s a little like being tied up.”

Yugi gives him a slow smile. “Yeah? Is that something you’d like to do sometime?” As promised, he gets to his feet and peels off his shirt, a little more slowly than necessary.

Atem flushes, his eyes roaming over Yugi’s torso. “You know I like you holding me down.”

“I sure do. Fuck, it’s hot when you ask me for that, trust me with that.” He strokes Atem’s wrists lightly. “Even when you’re hurting, and just want it to calm down, my stupid dick doesn’t get the memo.”

“It sort of turns me on, too,” Atem offers, “not always right then, but later, remembering it. You’re so good to me, partner.” Fuck, his eyes are soft. Only Yugi sees this look, gets it aimed at him.

Yugi groans and unbuttons his jeans. “I’m the one who’s supposed to be dirty-talking you.” He tries to remember what they were talking about. “So, tying you up. Are you sure? That’s not my hands on you.”

Atem shifts in his seat, like his pants are growing uncomfortable. Yugi presses his advantage and slides his own jeans and underwear right off, kicking them across the floor. He suddenly wishes he had music, to go with this striptease.

Atem says, “It would be your hands doing the tying, so whatever you used would be like an extension of them. And-” he shifts again, “-it would free your hands to do - um, other things.”

“That it would,” Yugi agrees, jacking his cock idly as he toes off his socks. Atem’s eyes are glued to it, and Yugi changes his angle, cants his hips a little, to give him a better view. “You see something you like?”

“Yes,” Atem says huskily, “can I suck it? Just - bring it closer and I can-” he licks his lips.

“Hnngh, okay.” Yugi draws near, and Atem leans forward, opening his mouth. Yugi has to keep his grip at the base to bring his cockhead level with those shiny lips. Atem’s pink tongue sneaks out to lick at it, laving the head and running up and down the shaft, then fastening his open mouth to the head and sliding it heavy against his tongue inside his mouth, sucking noisily.

The five-minute timer on Yugi’s phone goes off then, and Atem pulls off and says, “Fuck me now. Please.”

“Okay,” Yugi says, “just - lean forward a second.” Atem does, and Yugi takes the shot glasses and dumps them in the bathroom sink. When he gets back Atem is hopping around the room, struggling out of his jeans.

“I should just always wear skirts,” he gripes, “they don’t cause me this much trouble.”

“It doesn’t help that when you do wear pants you wear them spray-painted tight,” Yugi laughs. Typical of Atem to go all in, even if it’s just on the perceived indecency of a type of clothing.

“I don’t see the point of any other kind. Aside from being less impossible to escape!”

“Here, let me help.” With both of them pulling - and Atem being forced to slow down to let Yugi help him - he’s naked in seconds, and falling back where Yugi pushes him.

“Oh, look at you.” There are circular indents around his nipples, which are gleaming wet. His cock is _very_ hard, purpling at the head, balls looking tight and heavy. “You’re in a bad way.”

“I’ve been at the receiving end of your attention without relief since yesterday afternoon,” Atem points out, “of course I’m in a bad way.”

“Don’t worry, other me. I’ll make it up to you.” Yugi covers Atem’s cock with his hand, just sort of cupping and rubbing the whole thing at once, and Atem shivers and arches into the touch. Yugi curls his fingers around the shaft and starts jacking him, not hard, but not a tease either. “Put you at the receiving end of a little more than _attention,_ I promise.” His voice drops, and Atem shudders in response, muscles loosening, pupils dilating. He hopes he makes Atem feel as sexy as Atem makes him feel.

“Get the lube?” Without looking, Atem reaches into the nightstand and tosses him the little bottle. His casual competence at so many things continues to be stupidly hot.

“I want to blow you,” Yugi says, wasting no time getting two slick fingers into Atem's ass.

“You - unh - you always want to blow me,” Atem huffs.

“That’s true. But I promised to fuck you hard.”

“You did.”

“And I don’t think I’ll last if I blow you. I’ve been getting teased at least as hard as you.” Yugi pushes in a third finger.

Atem snorts. “Impossible!” His voice wavers despite his show of indignance. He grinds down against Yugi’s hand, taking his fingers easily, eagerly.

“You can’t see yourself, see what you look like, what you do to me.” Yugi pauses. “Wait. Yes, you can.”

“What?” Atem says vaguely, then, “Hey!” as Yugi takes his fingers out and tugs him up onto his knees, turning him until he faces the full-length mirror on the wall with Yugi behind him. With one hand he guides Atem’s legs apart until he can get flush against him, and slicks his cock with the other.

“Look at yourself,” Yugi orders, lining his cock up and starting to ease it inside. He props his chin on Atem’s shoulder. “The only way I can hold on with that look on your face is wanting to make it happen even _more.”_

It’s nothing but the truth. They make love so, so often, but Atem still looks shocked every time Yugi gets inside him, like his mind protects him from just how much he feels in this moment. His eyes are huge, his mouth half-open, color burning in his cheeks so vivid it shows even through his dark skin tone. Yugi presses against him, popping the head of his cock completely inside Atem, and Atem gasps, “Yes, please, gods, yes partner, fill me up. I love it.”

“I know you love it.” Yugi pulls back slightly and then pushes in farther, burying himself in hot, slick tightness. Fitting their bodies together - he can’t get enough of it either. “You show me how much you love it every time, taking it so pretty. You’re so gorgeous with me inside you, Atem.”

Atem moans wantonly and reaches up and back, clutching at Yugi’s neck and hip for support. He’s broader with muscle than Yugi, but that isn’t saying much. He’s still a slim brown twist in the mirror, muscles and bones sliding under skin pulled taut by the position, an incredible display. Yugi tightens his hands on Atem’s hips and starts to rock in and out more quickly, starting a rhythm and letting it build. Atem’s nipple piercings sparkle as he writhes with every thrust.

“Hard,” Atem rasps, “you promised.”

“We’re getting there. You waited so well, you’re so good, Atem.” Yugi makes good on his promise, bracing Atem’s hips and fucking him harder, building up force until Atem’s body shakes every time Yugi slams home. Atem’s eyes are open but unseeing, breathless little cries jolted out of his throat.

“Fuck, other me, I love the sounds you’re making, the way I’m pushing them out of you.” Yugi’s voice is getting ragged. He can’t look away from the mirror, the way Atem is moving with him, given over to him. On a sudden impulse he reaches up and grips Atem’s hair, pulling his head back against Yugi’s shoulder, just to add the sight of his bared throat to the picture.

“You’re so - you’re just - mine.”

“Yes.”

“Mine to hold, mine to fuck, mine to love, Atem, I love you so much.” He presses his open mouth to Atem’s arched neck and sucks hard, heaving great breaths of sweaty-Atem smell through his nose.

Atem shudders when Yugi gives him the edge of his teeth. _“Yes.”_

Yugi moves his other hand from Atem’s hip to his cock. Atem sucks in a breath, the fine tension in his frame tightening further. Yugi fucks into him with all his strength once, twice, like if he pushes hard enough he can fuse them into one again, fisting Atem’s cock until he can feel the tremors deep inside as Atem starts to convulse. He lets go of Atem’s neck, not trusting his control against his own swelling release, and gasps, “And I’m - just as much yours, Atem. I’m yours.”

“Yugi!”

They both cry out as they come, twined together, touching everywhere they can at once with Yugi buried as deep as he can get. When he can move again, Yugi rolls back onto the bed with Atem braced against him, then onto their sides.

At length Atem says, with a smile in his voice, “So do you like the piercings? I can’t tell.”

Yugi rolls his eyes and blows a sloppy raspberry between Atem’s shoulderblades.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this lovely bit of light predicament bondage and then learned saline soaks are no longer recommended. The boys will learn the same in the next chapter.


	2. Chapter 2

For the most part, Yugi thinks whoever or whatever (Atem remains tight-lipped about what  _ exactly  _ happened) brought Atem back, un-vaporizing his body and popping his soul back into it, did a pretty good job. Atem’s first life, his time alone in the Millennium Puzzle, his two years as Yami - even many of  _ Yugi’s  _ memories, like how to speak Japanese - it somehow all fits in Atem’s head, moderately coherent and useable. That probably took some doing. 

But the nightmares. From what Yugi can gather, the nightmares are an absolute fucking shitshow. Yugi has his own - all their little circle does - but Atem’s are  _ spectacular.  _

“Other me,” he says wearily, “come back to bed.” 

Atem makes a shushing motion and signs something rapidly. He’s crouched behind the arm of the couch, barely visible in the dimness, except for the whites of his eyes which can be seen all the way around.

“Nothing is hunting us, and we’re not hunting anything.” Yugi doesn’t know ancient Egyptian sign language - or any sign language at all - but he knows the contexts in which Atem uses it when he sleepwalks. “You’re dreaming.” 

The shushing motions become more violent, the signing more frantic. Yugi gets the impression Atem wants him to crouch down in his hiding place with him. 

Yugi stays standing instead, holds out his hand, and says clearly, “Come with me, Atem.” 

This works about half the time. Tonight is not one of those times. Atem rises to his feet, but only to yank Yugi behind himself and fling out his hand at nothing, shouting something very authoritative-sounding in Egyptian. Yugi is very glad Atem can no longer do the kind of magic he did as a spirit. 

The violent movement and loud noise seem to have jolted Atem fully into the waking world. “Yugi! Yugi, are you alright?” he barks, searching Yugi’s body with trembling hands. “Did it touch you?” Well,  _ further  _ into the waking world, anyway. 

“I’m fine, other me.”

“Thank the  _ gods.”  _ Atem crushes him into a hug. 

As gently as he can, Yugi says, “I was always fine. It was a dream.” 

Atem sags against him. “Even better. Also,” he says reflectively, “that makes a great deal more sense.” He’s still breathing hard, though, clutching at Yugi as the panic clutches at him. 

Yugi can feel the balls of Atem’s piercings digging into his chest, even through the thick sleeveless shirt Atem sleeps in to protect them. They’re only a couple of months into the healing process. “Come back to bed. Let me set you right.” 

Atem lets himself be led back to bed and laid out. This is a familiar pattern for them, even if the variation of Yugi bracing both his wrists in one hand above his head is new. With his other hand he pushes up Atem’s shirt and examines his nipples in the lamplight. “Everything looks okay. We’ll keep an eye on them tomorrow. I almost wish Honomie hadn’t called us up and told us best practice changed to just cleaning once a day, no more soaks; it’d give me something to step up.” He looks at Atem’s lost expression, the rapid rise and fall of his chest. “Aaand you’re barely following me right now. Shit.” 

Normally he would just spread-eagle over Atem, weigh him down with his own body; that calms Atem down pretty reliably. But he can’t do that now without risking harm to his piercings. He’s been thinking about this very situation, even picked up some supplies, but he hasn’t actually talked about it with Atem yet. 

Well, no time like the present. “I want to try something. Hang on.” He goes to his dresser and pulls a large hank of 6-millimetre cotton rope out of the bottom drawer, and some EMT shears. 

“What’s that?” Atem still sounds tremulous, but also curious. He’s sitting up on his elbows and watching Yugi. 

Yugi holds up the rope. “Proof of concept. After my birthday I did some reading, and went shopping at the hardware store.” 

Atem raises his eyebrows. “Oh?” There’s some definite interest there, distracting him from his earlier distress. Maybe this can work.

Encouraged, Yugi sets the shears on the nightstand and climbs back onto the bed, straddling Atem’s hips. “I was waiting for a sexy moment to bring it up, but a practical moment can work too. I can’t just squish you all over like I usually would,” he waves at Atem’s chest, “but I thought maybe I could tie your wrists instead of holding them, and then squish the rest of you. What do you think?” 

Atem fingers the rope, which is quite soft, like old jeans. “Alright.” 

Yugi takes one of Atem’s wrists and passes the doubled bight around it twice. “I’ve been practicing on my ankle. This is a kind of bowline knot. It’s good because the loop will never get smaller under pressure.” He’s nervous, but the knot isn’t difficult (he practiced a  _ lot). _ Atem’s wrist has a broad bracelet of rope with long trailing ends in no time flat. Yugi slides a finger under it to check the tightness. “How does that feel? Not too tight? 

Atem wiggles his fingers. “No. If anything, it could be tighter.” 

“I’m going to tie the end to the headboard. That’ll take up some slack.” He does so, and repeats the process on the other side. Now Atem has his hands tied on either side of his head, the same position Yugi usually braces them in with  _ his  _ hands to ground him.

“You hoped it would feel like my hands on you,” he reminds Atem. “Does it?” 

Atem tugs on the bonds, pulling the ropes taut. The wide bands press snugly instead of cutting in, just as they’re supposed to. “It does,” he confirms with a little smile. 

“Okay, good.” Yugi shuffles down the bed and wraps his arms around Atem’s waist, putting his head on the bottom of Atem’s ribcage. “Do you think this might work for the post-nightmare shakes?” The skin and silky hair of his belly feels very soft on Yugi’s cheek, the gurgle of his insides loud in his ear. 

Atem lets out a deep sigh. “In future, I think it’s very promising. But to be honest, they seem to have passed completely for the moment.” 

“Oh.” And just when he’s gotten Atem tied up so nicely, too. In theory it’s something he did for Atem, but Yugi finds the reality… compelling. Oh well. “Okay, I’ll let you out.” 

“I didn’t say  _ that,”  _ Atem says mildly, just as his dick twitches against Yugi’s chest. 

_ “Oh.”  _ Yugi sits up and looks down at Atem, who tugs on the ropes again and arches a little this time, showing off. Yugi’s cock has been interested since he took Atem’s wrist in his hands, but he’s used to ignoring it during these episodes. Now he lets himself feel how arousing Atem looks, bound beneath him, looking up at him with bright eyes. 

“I surprised myself with how much I like this,” Yugi says, stroking Atem’s wrists and the ropes around them. “You have to stay where I put you, no wandering or getting lost.” 

“I’m in your keeping,” Atem agrees, and tilts his chin like he wants a kiss, so Yugi kisses him. He holds himself up on all fours to protect Atem’s chest, and dips his head down to meet Atem’s mouth with his own, sliding their lips together, then licking inside. Atem’s tongue meets his and strokes it eagerly, then pushes back until they’re inside Yugi’s mouth instead. Yugi can’t hold back a moan, and Atem answers with a deep groan and an upward twist of his hips. 

“Mmm, good idea.” Yugi sits up again, and then back so that their cocks align. He steadies himself with one hand on Atem’s hip, and grips himself with the other. “Oh man, tying you was a great idea. Now I can hold you down and do  _ this,”  _ he guides his cockhead along Atem’s shaft, smearing it with the precum he’s already leaking, “at the same time.” 

Atem breathes out harshly as Yugi changes his grip to encompass them both. Yugi settles his weight more firmly at the top of Atem’s thighs and tries a small thrust, rubbing his length against Atem’s. Atem’s hips twitch, but the uncoordinated movement is too small to buck Yugi off. 

Yugi feels a fierce grin stealing onto his face. “Yeah, other me, I’ve got you where I want you now.” 

Atem looks back at him with just as much delight. “Lucky me.” 

Yugi starts jacking them both, swiveling his hips every now and again to change the angle or give a stroke some extra oomph. 

Atem is falling apart under him, twisting and writhing. Yugi can feel Atem’s cock twitch every time he yanks on the ropes - he  _ really  _ likes them. “How - did it take us so long to try this?” Atem gasps, then throws his head back to dig into the pillow, eyes squeezed shut. 

“I don’t know,” Yugi replies, “there was just so much else to try.” He feels on the threshold of another world, one he’s been flirting with since he was a kid and just wanted to look cool. There’s a lot he’s glimpsed and veered away from, a whole pageant of pain and punishment that just does not call to him at all. But this, here and now: Atem flushed and shaking beneath him, secure in the bonds Yugi has put on him - this, he wants to explore further. 

Later. For now, it’s the middle of the night, and he’s content to just stroke and grind both of them across the finish line. He watches Atem’s delicious tension ratchet higher and higher until it releases all at once. He follows him over the edge seconds later, sliding around in the mess of come painting their abdomens, leaning down to kiss Atem open-mouthed as they both catch their breath. 

“I’d call that proof of concept successful,” he says at last, and sits up to unpick his bowline knots. 

“Mmnngh,” Atem says intelligently, already half-asleep. He watches through lidded eyes as Yugi fetches a wet washcloth and wipes up the worst of the mess, pitching it in the general direction of the laundry hamper after. Both of them are asleep seconds after turning off the lamp. 


	3. Chapter 3

“Come shower with me,” Atem murmurs in Yugi’s ear, “then bathe with me.” He nips lightly at Yugi’s earlobe.

Yugi turns in his arms and nuzzles him. “Well, when you ask so nicely.”

It does feel good to finally scrub clean in the shower. They’re both crusted with sweat and mud after the fall camping trip with their friends. Yugi washes himself first, while Atem gropes and fondles and helps not at all.

“You’re getting me muddy all over again,” he complains.

“Sorry,” says Atem, not looking sorry in the least.

“Your turn. Gimme one of those busy hands.” Atem does, a kind of - imperious compliance, in the line of his arm suddenly, like letting himself be handled is automatic. His body language is like that sometimes, when he isn’t thinking. Old habits coexisting with new ones.

Yugi soaps Atem’s arm, massaging his hand and fingers for a minute before working up to his armpit. “Did people wash you before?”

Atem smiles at him. “Not like this.”

Yugi moves to his other arm. “How was it different?”

“Aside from the lack of hot running water, you mean? Because that alone makes it a whole new activity if you ask me.”

Yugi spins him around and scrubs his back. “Yes, aside from that.”

“The servants had to do it, and I had to let them.” Atem groans and pushes back against Yugi’s hands. “You learn a - a kind of manners, for that, whereby everyone keeps their dignity because everyone knows what’s expected. It was good to have that skill before the shaving started.”

“Right, I read that was a thing.” Yugi turns him again. “Did you really have to let them shave everything?”

“E-ve-ry-thing,” Atem confirms, “except my head. I hated it. You may have noticed I have _not_ kept it up.”

“I noticed.” Atem had been resurrected covered in stubble - presumably a coronation-day shave followed by however many days of apocalypse-related neglect - and had derived a subtle glee from letting it grow out to a dusting of fine black hairs everywhere below his neck. Yugi’s not complaining (although if Atem ever _does_ want to shave he calls dibs); he loves the texture of it under his hands, the way it concentrates Atem’s smell at key points, and how different it is from his own mostly-smooth body.

He crouches down to wash Atem’s feet. “I wonder if I owe those servants, for teaching you how to be cool with stuff like this.”

“Yugi. Look at me.” Atem reaches down and tilts Yugi’s face up. “It’s not the same thing at all. You want to do it, and I want to let you. Coolness doesn’t come into it; it warms me all the way through.”

Yugi hides his face in Atem’s thigh. “You pick the weirdest times for these speeches,” he mutters. After a moment to collect himself he hangs up the washcloth and plugs the drain of the tub. “We’re clean enough now I won’t worry about your piercings in a bath,” he announces.

One perk of them both being barely over five feet is they can share a bathtub easily. They face each other, Yugi fitting his lower body under Atem’s, and just enjoy the hot water for a moment.

Only a moment, though; pretty soon Atem exploits his position to start running his calf up and down Yugi’s side.

“You have a plan for tonight, don’t you?” Yugi teases.

“I certainly do.” _Now_ Atem looks kingly, leaning back against the rim of the tub with both elbows hanging out, gazing at Yugi smugly like he’s achieved a goal. “The whole time we were tramping through the wilderness, sitting on rocks around fires, _sleeping_ on rocks-”

“You slept on my pillowy chest and you loved it.”

“I love you, partner, but pillowy you are not. _Any_ way, as my poor five-thousand-year-old bones grew ever more weary - don’t you roll your eyes at me, young man - I thought to myself, ‘Self, when we get home, I shall draw a hot bath, and in it I shall ride Yugi like a pony.’” With that, he tucks both calves around Yugi’s waist, and pulls their lower bodies together until their groins are touching.

Yugi helps by reaching for one of the little bottles on the toiletry shelf: waterproof silicone lube. He coats his hands, then reaches into the water and coats their cocks. Atem hardens rapidly at the touch, and Yugi is close behind him, eyes and heart full of Atem so confidently going for what he wants, and what he wants being Yugi.

Atem’s eyes drift partly shut and he emits a leonine rumble of pleasure, lazily dipping and circling his hips, still reclining at the other end of the tub. Letting Yugi serve him. Fucking hell, that thought gets Yugi the rest of the way hard in a hurry.

“When you say ride, do you mean you want-”

“You inside me, obviously.” Atem tilts his hips and widens his knees until Yugi can see his hole, blurry under the water. Yugi drizzles more lube on the fingers of one hand, grips one of Atem’s asscheeks in the other, and brings his lubed fingertips to touch the little pucker.

“Ohh, you poor thing,” he teases, rubbing the wrinkled skin, coating it thoroughly, “neglected for two whole days. Have you gone all tight?” He pushes in with a fingertip, and Atem’s composure slips for the first time, breath catching a little. “You _have._ I’ll have to open you up again.” He goes in deeper and crooks his finger. Actually, Atem’s not that tight at all, muscles butter-soft in the hot water, but he likes it when Yugi talks it up a bit. Also, Yugi isn’t feeling very athletic tonight, so the more work his voice can do, the better.

Atem grunts when Yugi pushes another finger inside, quivering when Yugi spreads them, stretching him. The tremor sends narrow ripples over the surface of the water. Yugi slows down, keeps it gentle; again, tired, plus he doesn’t want to swamp the bathroom floor.

“Sshh, it’s okay,” he soothes, “I’ve got you. You’ll get what you need.”

“I do need it,” Atem murmurs back, color high enough now in his face to be visible. “Your touch inside me is part of who I am.”

 _“Fuck.”_ It’s Yugi’s turn to stutter in his movements, jabbing deeper than he meant to, and Atem gasps and spreads his legs wider, grinding down onto Yugi’s fingers.

“Oh! There, right there, partner,” he pleads, and Yugi can feel it, the lump of his prostate, and he pushes the flats of his fingertips into it and watches Atem’s cock blurt a little swirl of precome into the bathwater. Atem isn’t so much reclining against the rim of the bathtub anymore as he is hanging on for dear life, fingers splayed and clutching, his legs’ grip around Yugi’s waist growing slack and halfhearted.

“You look like you’re melting, other me.” Atem tosses his head weakly from side to side as Yugi slides a third finger inside of him. “Do you still think you’re up to ride me?”

Atem slits his eyes open to give Yugi a feeble glare of challenge. “Don’t you dare stop.”

Yugi chuckles. “Okay, okay.” His three fingers are moving easily in Atem’s ass now, the muscle slick and pliable - he’s really just enjoying the feel of him at this point. But he should take mercy on them both and get his dick in there. He adds a little more lube and guides Atem into place.

“You’ll need to pull me in with your legs; my hands are really slippery- _yyy!”_ Atem rediscovers his strength in a hurry, dragging Yugi up into himself, not stopping until he has all of Yugi’s length clasped in his tight heat.

“Ohhh, that’s better,” Atem groans, head falling back again with a blissful smile. “That’s just right.”

“I’ll bet.” Yugi strokes Atem’s cock up and down a few times, rubs his thumb across the head. He dips into the slit and Atem’s walls flutter around him. Atem trembles and water does slosh onto the floor, but Yugi is past caring. They’re both covered in sweat where they aren’t submerged, fat beads of sweat rolling down their bodies. Atem moves languidly up and down, almost gliding on Yugi’s cock.

“You’re going so _slow,”_ Yugi marvels, matching Atem’s pace with his hand. “Does it feel good, other me? The push and pull?”

Atem groans - deep, shaky, Yugi feels the sound in his own sternum - and nods.

“I can s-see it on your face, how you’re feeling every inch of me as you - _ohh_ \- as you suck me in, and then pull me out just so you can do it - fuck!- again.” The long, luxurious slides find him getting fancy where he’s jerking Atem, twisting his hand as he moves it up and down, rubbing the head at the top, cupping and petting his balls with his other hand. “You’ve got no gravity, no leverage, I can’t move to help at all, floating like this. There’s nothing but you, and how much you need to _fuck_ yourself.”

“On you,” Atem specifies, in between gasps getting ever more high-pitched as he approaches climax.

“On me,” Yugi agrees, and dips the tip of his thumb into the slit of Atem’s cockhead, and the index finger of his other hand inside the taut rim of Atem’s hole alongside his cock. Atem arches so hard he practically levitates out of the water, shuddering through his orgasm in loud, hoarse sighs. The sight, and the clenching of his ass around Yugi’s cock, is almost enough to push Yugi over - but not quite.

Atem oozes back into the bath, boneless and content, and peers at Yugi from the other end of the tub. “That was splendid,” he says, “exactly what I wanted.” He wiggles where Yugi is still rock-hard and balls-deep. “Now what would _you_ like, partner?’

Yugi laughs breathlessly. “I dunno, to come?”

Atem looks thoughtful. “If you’re not particular, there is a way I would very much like to finish you.”

Aside from his dick, Yugi is pretty damn relaxed himself right now, tired muscles glutted with weightless heat. For once he sees the appeal of just letting his partner do whatever he pleases. “Be my guest.”

Atem unclamps his legs from around Yugi’s waist and pulls off - gingerly - then rises up onto his knees between Yugi’s legs. “Turn over?”

Yugi’s stomach does an excited little flip. He rolls, so that he is now supporting his head and forearms on the rim of the tub facing outward. His suspicions are confirmed when Atem goes straight for his ass, spreading his cheeks open with both hands and licking him with the whole soft surface of his tongue.

“Ooohhh fuuck…” he groans. He didn’t think he could melt any further, but he wasn’t counting on this. With everything else there is to do with each other, getting rimmed is a rare treat. Atem laves the entirety of his crack, drooling copiously, then edges his fingers closer to expose his hole more and drives his tongue inside. Yugi feels like his whole body is molten, all his senses narrowing to the honey-sweet pleasure Atem sends curling into him. He probes, sharply pointed then soft and fat, and licks as if trying to rasp him with his tastebuds, and just generally makes it impossible for Yugi to forget that those are no fingers; Atem is _eating his ass._

Then Atem does put fingers into him, two hooked just inside his entrance and pulling him wide to get his tongue in even deeper, and Yugi’s hips twitch of their own volition. But it seems Atem was expecting that, has already worked his other hand around to grasp Yugi’s cock. When Yugi moves he ruts into the warm wet tunnel of his fingers and palm, Atem still working him from behind, nowhere to go to escape the enormity of the deferred pleasure cresting over him like a sunlit wave.

Atem hums, channeling the vibration to the very center of Yugi’s body, and works his hand on Yugi’s shaft, just a little but it puts an extra kick into something that was already a foregone conclusion. The wave crashes over him and Yugi drowns, light bursting in his vision and under his skin.

When he becomes aware again, Atem has pulled him back down into the water, pressing his front to Yugi’s back and encircling him with all four limbs, as much to keep him warm as anything; the water is cooling, and way too much of it is on the floor.

“I need to get a dildo or something,” Yugi mutters. “I’m an idiot for letting you hog all the butt stuff.”

Atem squeezes him. “Christmas is coming up,” he points out.

“Does that make your head spin at all?” It’s not really a religious festival in Japan, but still. Whenever Yugi thinks too hard about the span of time Atem has traveled it makes _his_ head spin.

“At last count my religion contained over two thousand gods and goddesses. So, no.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven’t described Atem’s body hair before, because I hadn’t decided how much I wanted him to have. I have now decided that, nope, fuck aesthetics (and esthetics), he can be a fuzzy little otter king cheerfully playing hookie from stupid shaving for the rest of his days.


	4. Chapter 4

“You actually did it,” Yugi says, staring at the unwrapped Christmas present in his hands: a silicone buttplug and flared-base dildo, both in crayon-bright purple. The plastic packaging reminds him of kids’ toys. “You just - walked into a shop and…”

Atem shrugs. “Materials have changed, but it’s nothing I haven’t seen before.”

But Yugi knows him a little too well to miss the tightening of Atem’s already-straight posture, the brash tilt of his eyebrows. “You’re bluffing. You walked in there and all but burst into flames.”

Atem slumps. “I could have sworn my hair started to smoke,” he admits. “The shop attendant was very understanding.”

Yugi snickers and plants a kiss on his forehead. “I’m sure they were. You’re adorable. It’s okay; I was just about as flustered getting the first part of your gift.”

Atem looks at the opened box lying by his knees. “But we have lots of collars and cuffs.”

“Sure, for fashion. Take a closer look.” Yugi points out the thick leather, the soft lining, the sturdy buckles and D-rings. “These ones are… functional. To work with the second part. Which was less embarrassing to buy, but that I’m more excited to show you.”

Atem raises his eyebrows. “Oh?”

They’re already in their bedroom, so Yugi just pulls the heavy box out from under the bed. “I couldn’t figure out any way to wrap them.” He opens the box, sets aside the cotton ropes (showing a bit of wear now), and turns it so Atem can see what was hiding beneath them.

As he’d hoped, Atem’s breath catches in immediate recognition. “Are those…?”

Yugi nods.

Atem reaches into the box and draws out a handful of stainless steel chain, feeling its weight, fingering the links. “This is the exact variety of chain upon which you hung the Millennium Puzzle.” He sounds amazed - and certain, but Yugi confirms it anyway.

“The very same. I went back to the hardware store and got a few more lengths.” He shows Atem the small carabiners he’s attached to all the ends, how they can clip to each other, any chain link, or the D-rings on the new leather accessories.

Atem runs the chain over and through his fingers, his eyes alight. “I was so pleased when you first thought to restring the Puzzle on this. It felt like a promise, like you wanted to protect me as much as I wanted to protect you.”

Yugi swallows. “That’s, uh, that’s about right.”

Atem pins Yugi’s gaze with his own then, all that willpower and age and love, so much love, in his face at once somehow. “Can we try them out now?”

Yugi runs his fingers down Atem’s chest, tangling briefly with the cartouche chain, passing over the bumps of Atem’s piercings under his sleep shirt. They’re _nearly_ safe to play with; Yugi is beginning to let himself imagine the things he can do, how Atem’s reactions might look and sound. But back to the matter at hand. “We’ve got all day to recover after. I don’t see why not.”  

They’re both quiet as he strips Atem down and buckles the cuffs onto his wrists and ankles, but it’s not an awkward quiet. This is new but not new, congruent with how they already are together.

Yugi pauses when the fourth cuff is in place. “I have no plans for the collar right now. Do you want it anyway?”

Atem fingers the collar he’s already wearing, the one Yugi gave him the night after he came back. He defaults to it unless an outfit begs for something else, sleeps in it more often than not. But then he looks down at the new one, and his eyelids flutter briefly. “You decide.”

Yugi chooses to have Atem wear the new one. “You look really good,” he tells Atem as he guides him to lie down. “Wearing what I’ve given you.” He loops the first length of chain around the bedpost and clips it to a wrist cuff (and yeah, rope has its appeal too, but _damn_ chain is fast and easy).

Atem twists his wrist to feel the chain as Yugi secures his other hand. “Someday I’d like to be suspended from this,” he muses. “I think I would come from the symbolism alone.”

Yugi’s mouth goes dry at the mental image. “You and me both. But that’s the kind of thing you have to take classes for.” He moves on to Atem’s ankle.

“It would be worth it,” Atem declares. “Put it in the bucket.”

“You mean _on_ the bucket _list?”_

“Yes, that.”

Yugi smiles. “Consider it written.” He clips the last chain to Atem’s other ankle cuff. “How does that feel?”

Atem is spread-eagled on his back, arms and legs stretched out. Obediently he wiggles his fingers and toes, and his cock firms up visibly at the clinking of the chains. “It feels good,” he tells Yugi.

“Good,” Yugi says, and then falls on him like a starving man at a feast. He cups Atem’s face as he kisses him, sliding his fingers up into his hair and down behind the back of his neck, feeling the thick collar. Atem kisses back, needy moans already starting to reverberate in his chest. Yugi sucks on Atem’s tongue and slips a finger under the collar and tugs, and Atem jerks on the chains and shudders at the sound they make.

“I had a feeling you’d like that noise,” Yugi says right into Atem’s ear just to make him twitch, then grazes his teeth down the edge of it to tug on the lobe, careful of his earrings. “You like being reminded you can’t go anywhere right now unless I put you there.” He sucks and nibbles his way down Atem’s neck to his collarbones, stroking over Atem’s arms and then his sides.

“Hello, sparkly nipples. Looking forward to our big date,” he tells Atem’s chest in passing, surprising a laugh out of Atem. He likes the way it bounces him, and he tickles Atem’s ribs for a few seconds to keep it going.

“Heehee, ahaha, stop it!” Atem giggles, and Yugi stops and plants a big smacking kiss into his belly button… then tongues it wetly. Atem is set off into another spate of giggling even as he yanks on the chains in real frustration for the first time. “Oh!” he fumes, but then Yugi moves quickly down his belly (sniffing deeply and nuzzling at his soft, dark treasure trail) and curls his tongue around the head of Atem’s cock. _“Ohhh.”_

It’s very, very tempting to just open his mouth and go to town, but Yugi has a plan. He keeps the contact with Atem’s cock light, distracting, little licks and sucking kisses up and down his shaft. Just enough to keep him keyed-up and lost in sensation while he fingers Atem’s ass open - which does most of the heavy lifting as far as sensation goes, which is why he thinks this plan is a good one.

He’s up to three fingers inside Atem’s hole, as far as he can reach with Atem unable to spread his legs wider, nor lift his hips more than a couple of inches. He drives as deep as he can, and Atem arches futilely again, taut in his bonds. “More, please,” Atem begs, past being able to process how ‘more’ is almost impossible in this position. Perfect.

“You’ll get more, other me,” he reassures Atem, “just a little change in what kind of more.” With his free hand he drizzles lube over the buttplug Atem got him, smears it around a little, and without further ado swaps it for his fingers.

“Oh! Oh, what-? _Oh!”_ Atem sounds confused, but also shocked with pleasure, as the silicone slides smoothly into his body with no resistance at all. It’s just barely wider than Yugi’s cock at the widest point, and Atem’s ass swallows it right up until the flared base is snugged into his cleft. Atem’s belly ripples as he clenches on the unfamiliar intrusion.

“I know it’s not as warm and doesn’t move,” Yugi says, rising up to straddle Atem’s waist on his knees, “but it’ll fill you up, give that hungry hole of yours something to keep it busy.” He frots on Atem’s cock where it’s trapped against his belly by Yugi’s body, and reaches into his own crack with fingers still dripping with lube. “And up here, I’ll be warm and moving on _you_ for once.”

Atem looks up at him, eyes blown almost black with lust. “Take whatever you want,” he rasps. Yugi jerks, fingers jabbing deeper than he’d planned, which makes his cock jump. Atem’s gaze is drawn down to it, and to Yugi’s arm where it’s working behind him. “I wish I could do that,” he says vaguely, hands twitching.

Yugi’s breath speeds up as he stretches himself with a third finger. “Maybe another time I’ll sit on your face,” he blurts out. Atem groans wordlessly; Yugi feels the vibration in his balls, and that’s it, he’s all out of patience. He lifts himself, lines up Atem’s cock, and starts to sink down on it.

“Ohh, _fuck!”_ he spits as the head pops past his rim. There’s definitely a burn there.

Atem’s gaze sharpens with concern. “Be careful, partner! Don’t hurt yourself!”

“I’m okay,” he bites out, “It’s just been a while.” He literally can’t remember the last time he took more than a finger or two during a blowjob. Hazards of loving a needy bottom.

Atem gives him a worried frown. “Then take your time - like you do with me.”

Yugi wants to argue that fingering Atem’s ass is more fun than fingering his own, but Atem is right. “Yeah, okay.” He takes some deep breaths and rocks gingerly on just the top of Atem’s shaft, sinking fractionally deeper every time. It doesn’t take long for the sting to fade, and under it is that deep, shivery excitement, like stretching his mouth around Atem’s dick but moreso: getting _fucked,_ taking part of his other half’s body inside his own.

He sinks lower, and lower still, and then his weight settles on the tops of Atem’s thighs and he’s got all of it, thick and hard and so deep inside him. Yugi blinks open eyes that have fallen closed.

“Oh, wow.” Atem is _quivering_ under him, poor guy: chained, stuffed, and now ridden, all at once. No wonder he’s clenching his jaw and breathing harshly through his nose. “You’re taking so much for me right now, doing so good to hold on like this.” Atem whimpers. Yugi better get moving before he blows past Atem’s limit.

And he does get moving, raising and lowering himself steadily, slow at first and then faster and faster, until he’s bouncing hard enough to slap their skin together and heaving for air, working up a serious sweat. This is more work than thrusting on top.

“You - feel - _so_ good,” he moans. It’s like Atem is rearranging Yugi’s insides, hollowing out a home for himself (again).

“You too,” Atem gasps. He can’t really thrust, but his hips buck up to meet Yugi when he comes down, and the added force makes Yugi cry out.

Yugi’s orgasm churns under his skin, ready to burst any time, but- “Wanna feel you come,” he says. He spreads his fingers on Atem’s chest, supporting his weight as he shimmies up and grinds down. “Give it to me, give me your come, wanna feel it inside, keep it there, _come for me now.”_

Atem squeezes his eyes shut and yells, face deep red. His cock swells and pulses inside Yugi, and he goes off too, fisting his cock raggedly as he paints Atem’s belly and chest. He topples forward after, laying clumsy kisses all over Atem’s face.

“Incredible,” he pronounces, “that was fucking awesome.” Atem’s eyes are moist, his mouth soft; Yugi has to give it a lingering kiss before he asks, “How are you doing?”

Atem blinks, thinking about it for a second, then says in a wrecked voice, “I would very much like to touch you now.”

“Yeah, okay.” It takes longer to disengage from Atem’s cock than it does to unclip the cuffs; another perk of the chains. Immediately Atem wraps his arms around Yugi. Yugi hugs him back. “Hey, are you sure you’re okay?”

Atem squeezes so hard Yugi grunts, and says, “You amaze me. All that I am is yours.”

Yugi sniffs. “You’re pretty amazing yourself.”

Atem wiggles his butt. “I prefer your cock to this device, though. Perhaps next time you could wear it while you fuck me.”

Yugi clenches his fingers in Atem’s skin as his cock tries valiantly to get hard again. “Guhhh, maybe.”

They fall asleep like that, just for a little while. Later they’ll have to clean up the disaster of their bed (and themselves), before their friends arrive to share a bucket of Christmas KFC. When night falls the city will come alive with Christmas lights; they’ll walk around admiring them, and knowing Atem there will be at least one absurdly-intense snowball fight skirmish. But for now the room is cool, and inside their nest of blankets and tangled limbs there is warmth, and rest, and peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. This chapter is dedicated to Skyisthelimit112, for her generous participation as sounding board, and for cheering on both bondage, and Yugi getting a turn to bottom.
> 
> 2\. KFC for Christmas is apparently a real thing in Japan!


End file.
